Making up for lost time

So I would like to apologise to my readers (I hope I still have some) for the lack of posts recently. In the last week or so I have found a house and moved in, started work, gone on an extended weekend trip to Hue and today (Saturday) I am planning for my housewarming party which will take place tonight.

So the next post will be dedicated to the trip Tim (my boss' nephew) and I took to Hue and I will post some pics and maybe a video of my new house in the coming days.

But since I last posted I have experienced some of the night life of Da Nang. The hopping little night spots I have visited are as follows:

• The Camel Club - this is where I started my foray into Da Nang night life. It's a brightly lit (from the outside) club which a live band and a rotating crew of singers, which then gave way to heavy beats and the usual scantily clad pole dancing women (and one boy) so there was something for everyone. It's cheaper to get shots of vodka ($3) than beers ($5) and even cheaper still to buy your vodka by the bottle.


• Las Vegas - this is the big nightclub in Da Nang. There was a killer female DJ, who even got me on the floor for a dance when she played a dance remix of "A Girl Like You" by Edwin Collins. It rocked. Drinks are very expensive and we got to witness some pole dancing girls and saw their pimp (some rich, old white guy... v. creepy). All in all it's an ok place to go but watching drunk or high white guys on holidays sleazing all over the local girls gets a bit tired after a while.


• Bamboo Bar - this is my local for now, not really close to my house but a relaxed kind of bar, with a dodgy pool table and excellent tunes (think Damien Rice, Neil Young etc). I'm thinking about donating a Crowded House cd to their collection (but only if they take the James Bunt cd and crush it into a thousand pieces and then set those pieces on fire). Anyone who comes to visit I am likely to take you here. You have been warned!!

I also spent a couple of weeks looking for a house, and had settled on a beautiful 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom, 5 level house fully furnished which the owners said they would give me for $300USD a month, when we called to confirm, they decided they wanted at least $500USD a month, which is out of my budget and I would prefer to spend the extra money on travel etc.

So I am now living in a 2 bedroom, one bathroom, one level house, with minimal furnishings (a bed, air con, table and chairs, but no fridge or washing machine) for $250USD a month which is lovely and quite secure, in the heart of surburban Da Nang. Pics coming in the next few posts. I will also post some pics of the house warming party that will take place tonight.

Next up is a post on my trip to Hue. Stay tuned.

XOXO

Amy

Da Nang

Hello everyone... first things first, as you can probably see I have resolved the camera issue. With the help of my ICM (In-Country Manager for the Ayad Program) Mr Thong I managed to located a replacement cord for about $9 AUD so I was pretty stoked to get my pics off my camera and onto the blog.

I have arrived in Da Nang, flew in on Saturday morning. Saturday was spent looking around Da Nang a little, though this was rushed because a storm was coming in. We went to the top of the Green Plaza hotel along the river and I managed to take some photos. I look forward to taking more when the weather is clearer and you can see the mountains better.



Saturday night we had a dinner at Ian's (my new boss) house and I met a couple of girls from the Project Office. I also had my first ride on a motorbike, as we went for a drink with the ex-pat network that has been established here in Da Nang. A lot of that group are American ex army men who have come back and married.

Sunday was spent house hunting and more motorbike riding. I am now in the possession of a brand-new spanking helmet of my own, complete with full face visor. Its very cute. We also did quite a bit of house hounting today. If I choose, I can get a three or four story place to myself with 3 to 4 bedrooms and bathrooms for about $300 USD a month but I think I will hold out for something a bit smaller.

Also late this afternoon I got to step foot on China Beach here in Da Nang. The city is split into two sections, one of the ocean side of the river and the other on the mountain side of the river. If I can I'm going to live on the beach side and use my pushbike to get around, with the view to learning how to ride a motorbike in the near future.

That's all for now. Tomorrow will be spent setting up a bank account, finding a local dr and visiting the project office.

Keep the comments rolling in and love to you all.

Amy xoxo